The Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
have a more appetizing appearance, and the kids devoured them, too.

Two treats to tame the most ghoulish of appetites.

Also, here’s a little added Halloween trivia:

Jack-o-Lantern
History
The carving of jack-o-lanterns comes from a centuries-old Irish myth about a
man named Stingy Jack. He was such an unsavory character that, when he died,
God wouldn’t let him into Heaven and the Devil, whom he had tricked one too
many times, wouldn’t let him into Hell. So, Stingy Jack was doomed to wander
the Earth with only a burning coal in a carved-out turnip lantern to light his
way. Jack of the Lantern soon became known as just Jack O’Lantern and people
began to carve scary faces in turnips or potatoes to frighten away both Stingy
Jack and other evil spirits. Immigrants to the United States made their scary
lanterns from our native pumpkins, a tradition that continues today.

Litter Box Cake

To make it look
real, use a new plastic cat litter box and pooper scooper for serving. Also,
you can make both cakes for the recipe from scratch, but I used boxed cake
mixes to save time.

Prepare cake mixes
and bake according to directions. (I made them both in 9 x 13 inch pans.)

Grind up vanilla
wafers in small batches in a food processor. Set aside all but 1/4 cup. To the
14 cup, add a few drops of green food coloring and mix until completely
colored.

When the cakes are
cooled to room temperature, crumble into a large bowl. Toss with half the
vanilla wafer crumbs and the chilled pudding. Important: Mix in just enough of
the pudding to moisten it. You don’t want it soggy. Combine gently.

Put the
cake/pudding/cookie mixture into the litter box.

Put three
unwrapped Tootsie Rolls in a microwave safe dish and heat until soft and
pliable. Sahpe ends so they are no longer blunt, curing slightly. Repet with
thee more Tootsie Rolls. Burry them into the mixture. Sprinkle the other half
of the wafer crumbs over the top. Scatter the green cookie crumbs lightly on
top of everything.

Microwave the
remaining Tootsie Rolls, shape, and place on tope of the cake, rolling them
slightly in the cookie crumbs.

In a medium bowl or on waxed paper, sift together the flour baking powder and
spices. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the oil and sugar. Whisk in the eggs, one
at a time. Add the vanilla.

Slowly add the flour mixture and mix until well combined. Add the pumpkin and
stir until just combined.

Divide the batter between the cupcake cups. (They will be fairly full.) Bake
for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool
in the muffin tin for 10 minutes, and then remove them onto a rack to finish
cooling.

To make the frosting, place all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Beat
until smooth. Use 10 drops of yellow food coloring and 2 drop of red to make
the frosting orange. Frost cooled cupcakes.